


Unlock Me: Unfold

by TLOZchik



Series: Unlock Me [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda
Genre: F/M, Unlock Me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-21 14:06:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7390228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TLOZchik/pseuds/TLOZchik
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are a simple doctor of Castle Town, until destiny arrives at your doorstep in the form of Cirra, a cowardly adventurer of the crown. With no seemingly no choice in order to escape the monster in the mist, Cirra left his gravely injured friend behind to be brutally butchered by the Shadow, a secret that he will carry to the grave. You pledge your service to the kingdom the following morning, knowing full well that this could be the end of life as you know it. You are prepared to meet this end until meeting Link, a hardened, cold hearted warrior whom you cannot seem to understand to save your life. Much to your discomfort at first, you become partners in training. As time progresses however, your feelings become stronger, though you cannot quite tell how to unlock his heart. In the meantime, you have other fish to fry. Messy royal affairs, body counts on the rise, no one to be trusted, bloodbaths on the battlefield, listening walls, crumbling courtships, and endless woes- there is no end to the heartache and treachery of Hyrule Castle. Unlock Me is, on its surface, a story about two people at odds who come together at a time of crisis, but the true tale that lurks beneath is far less simple.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Dark Shadow

There is no shortage of graphic violence, vivid depictions of gore, adult themes, and strong language in this story.

Before you click away due to the lack of familiar characters in the first two chapters, before you start reading in hopes of getting some erotic action, and BEFORE you skip through this message, PLEASE, I encourage you to read the following note. This story, just like any other amateur fiction works that you can find online, is FAR from perfect. In spite of this, I should hope it would be one of the better written stories of this caliber you will find. The writing process for this story began when I was a sophomore in high school, and has continued to my freshman year of college. It is NOT erotica. It is NOT a rewrite of another creator's original plot with a reader inserted. It is NOT, I repeat, it is NOT a purely a romantic love story. While a large portion of the plot is centered around the evolving relationship between a twisted version of Nintendo's classic Link and the reader, the whole narrative was NEVER designed to be fluffy, innocent, or purely a love story. If you're looking for what everyone expects out of a given fan fiction, (graphic sex, half-assed plot, etc), this is not the story for you. This is designed to be one of the grittiest, goriest, most violent, but above all, most layered and thought provoking love stories of its kind. In case you weren't listening, that means THIS STORY IS NOT FOR YOU IF YOU WANT PORN. Thank you for listening to this lengthy note.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Hell is empty  
           and all the devils are here."

                         -William Shakespeare

 

Long ago, in a place very different from Earth...

The sky rumbled and shook as if opening up the gates of heaven to the world below. Two travelers and long time friends, Tai and Cirra, trekked across the grasslands as the storm brewed above them, blocking every last glimpse of any sort of light on the horizon. All was dark, and encompassed in shadow.

"Cirra, how much further?!" Tai yelled out, panting as he dragged his fatigued and injured body through the mud a few feet behind.

"We still have miles more to go 'till we reach the fields!" Cirra shouted back, squinting in an attempt to see through the thick fog covering the terrain. "Then it's a bit of a walk to cross the valley, and get ourselves back to Castle Town!" He added. The sky rolled with thunder and the second one grunted in pain and effort as he continued to walk, his arm shielding his eyes from the heavy rainfall. His companion grunted painfully behind him, cursing up a storm. 

Tai's ankle, injured severely already that same day from his run in with an angry and predacious Deku Baba, was now bleeding through its bandages once again. Though Cirra had managed to keep the creature at a distance, for fear of personal injury, the plant was able to knock Tai instead to the dirt and capture his ankle in its jaws. The beast shook the leg profusely in an attempt to detach it, but in the end, Tai was able to dispose of it with a daring sword swipe through its mouth before it could be completely successful. 

"Damn weather! How long is it going to keep raining like this?!" Tai growled angrily, gritting his teeth as the pain in his foot seemed to be tripling by the hour. He was always the least likely to grin and bear his misfortunes, as his friend Cirra knew well.

"It could be worse, Tai," Cirra smiled to himself despite his discomfort and exhaustion, "we can thank the gods it isn't hailing!" Tai, clearly unamused, let out an audible huff, and barked back at Cirra in irritation.

"Now that you've gone and said THAT, you stupid goron-brained cur, I'm not so sure it won't!" Cirra couldn't help but laugh loudly at Tai's name-calling outburst through the invasive noise of the storm. Tai, however, simply rolled his eyes and scowled. "Besides, you ain't the one with a fuckin' near-severed ankle!" He persisted.

"You're being dramatic, Tai." Cirra dismissed casually. His feet sloshed through the muddy earth as if it were a field of watery dough. Inside his thoroughly soaked boots, his sweaty toes were simultaneously chilled to the bone. The beginnings of trench foot licked dangerously at his salty skin.

"I ain't being dramatic in the slightest, damn you!" Tai yelled out as another whistling gust of wind blew back the cold skin of their faces. "You're so damn lucky I risked my sorry ass for yours, else YOU'D be the cripple who's just about bleeding to death in a fucking thunderstorm in the middle of fucking NOWHERE!!" Tai screeched angrily. Cirra, who had just about had enough of his delightful companion's griping, felt his guilty conscience stirring in his chest. He stopped advancing through the storm to turn over his shoulder and glare at his friend's limping form.

"You say that as if you think I wouldn't have done the same for you, huh?" Cirra challenged bitterly, knowing all too well that Tai was accusing him of being a coward. It was no secret, and Cirra was painfully aware of it himself, though he pretended not to be. Always too afraid to risk his skin. Always too scared to face facts. Always, he feared that the day he refused to turn his back would be the day he died. 

Tai, also stopping dead in his tracks, exhaled several puffs of visible breath through his mouth before passive aggressively snorting, and pulling a bit of the fabric of his hood in front of his mouth.

"I say that you wouldn't have done nothin' because I know you wouldn't have, but don't you mind it. Don't you ever mind anything anyways. Just keep moving, would you?" Anger at his friend's words flared in Cirra's pale cheeks. Gritting his teeth and balling his fists, Cirra spun back around nonetheless and continued to lead the way. No good would come from confrontation. The two were silent for some time, as the tension between them hushed any desire to make amends.

They walked with great effort as the wind blew them back, pressing onward persistently. Neither one spoke as they spent the next several moments shivering in silence. Another wave of thunder boomed across the sky, causing another violent downpour of rain. Tai hissed in pain, feeling the deep wound just below his ankle stinging as muddy rainwater contaminated the soggy, bloody bandages repeatedly. 

"I don't know how much more of this my foot can take! It's got to be terribly infected by now, and that's being optimistic!" As he spoke, a huge gust of wind came. "For the gods' sake, would you just STOP?!" He yelled frustratedly at out at no one in particular. His eyes squeezed shut as he took another step, and to his horror, felt his ankle catch on the earth and twist with a frightening popping noise before he toppled to the muddy grassland. The wind was knocked from his chest as his hands failed to catch himself from colliding with the muddy ground. "FUCK!!! Son of a bitch!!!" He groaned in pain, a cold shiver of dread dripping down his forehead, dribbling down his clothes. He tried to move the ligaments below his ankle, wiggle his toes, anything, but to his horror the entire limb was both tingling with a freezing numbness and wrought with agonizing pain. He didn't dare look back at his foot, tears of fear and agony welling up inside his eyes. "Cirra!!!" He yelled out to his companion. Cirra, suddenly filled with determination, turned and hurried to help. His rushed, heavy footsteps sloshed back through the mud towards Tai, hoping to himself that Tai had just taken another harmless spill. As he blinked away the curtain of rainwater and shielded his eyes to kneel beside his comrade and pull off his soaking bloody boot, however, he felt his blood run cold at the gruesome sight.

The bandages wrapped tightly about the dip beneath Tai's ankle did little to prevent the area on the inside part of his foot from being completely torn open. It was as if the deepened slits of teeth marks had perforated the limb, causing it to nearly rip apart entirely by the seams of flesh still barely clinging to itself. Now, it almost appeared as though a fissure had torn into the limb, putting the innards of the muscled yet fragile and veiny foot on display. Through the gaping hole, red, stringy, somewhat chunky and gnarled spongelike layers of bloody tissue seemed to be attempting to push itself out further and further. The horrifying, splitting gash full of Crimson and yellow gunk only became more ghastly as Cirra reached out towards it with a shaky hand and tried to push the contents of the foot back into the open flesh. Tai screamed in pain, wailing as Cirra pulled back apologetically, frantically trying to figure out what to do. 

He lifted the leg carefully and his friend yelped in pain. Above them, the storm raged on. Cirra blinked as water fell in his eyes and he bowed his head, thinking desperately.

"Come on, Tai, give me your hand! We'll have to treat it once we get to shelter!" Tai grunted as he forced himself up to grasp Cirra's hand. Cirra grunted, pulling Tai's arm over his shoulder so he could act as a crutch.

"Ah...AHH!!" Tai yelled out in pain as his foot cracked. "Oh great goddess, IT HURTS!!!" 

"You're gonna be okay, Tai!! It can't be that much further to Castle Town!!" He lied hopefully, feeling his panic bubbling menacingly within his stomach. The fields were still at least another mile away, and neither here nor there would there be any reliable shelter. He shielded his eyes with his other hand as he continued forward, water pouring down his body. Both men were soaked and chilled to the bone, hair sticking feverishly to their heads, and clothes plastered to their skin. They kept on a good while, hoping for the best. Eventually, however, another stampede of thunder rampaged from the black clouds, as Tai let out a blood curdling scream. Cirra clenched his teeth as he felt a warm splash of Tai's blood land on his leg. Exhausted physically and emotionally, but fueled by the heavy beating of his panicked heart, he looked back to watch another surge of puss and blood squirt out of the now purple wound on Tai's exposed foot.

"AHHHHHH!!!" Tai wailed as he let go of Cirra. In an instant, Cirra grabbed him by the armpits, catching him before he once again face planted in the muck.

"We can't quit now!! We have to keep moving!!!" Cirra yelled to his whimpering companion. Tai hissed in pain, his face contorted awfully in agony as he nodded. Again the storm growled like a pack of ravenous wolves and the sound of beating rain pounded on the backs of the two men. This time, however, as Cirra grunted and dragged along Tai as well as he could, he couldn't help but feel as if they were being watched.

"Cirra!! It hurts!!!" Tai screamed again as crimson fluid stained his pant leg and mixed with the brown mud of the earth. A trail of thick, deep red blood had been left behind them as they kept walking. The smell of iron was ripe in the air, strong enough to be smelt over the pounding clarity of the rain. Even though he told himself it was merely paranoia, Cirra couldn't help but wonder if someone else, or something else, not far behind could smell it too.

"Stay strong, Tai!!" Cirra grunted with the effort as he helped Tai trudge along through the grass. Cirra felt a salty drop of sweat enter his eye, blinking as he felt Tai turn over his shoulder to look behind them. 

Tai squirmed in Cirra's grip as his eyes widened and he gasped in horror. The sound of a low, female chuckle seemed to come from nowhere, sending chills down the backs of both men. "D-did you hear that?!" Tai hyperventilated in both agonizing pain and fear. He gripped Cirra's shirt and stared at the land behind them, hitting Cirra's chest frantically in an effort to get him to look back. Cirra, however, did not want to find out what, if anything, lurked behind.

"I can't hear anything!!! You just heard the thunder, Tai!!" Cirra tried to move on, but Tai stayed rooted to the spot, staring at the mist behind them. "Come on, Tai!!! You're losing blood-!!" He stopped dead in his tracks as he turned around to stare in horror at the large, dark shape moving in their direction through the mist. Cirra felt another wave of terror crash down on him, as he swore he heard the chuckling once again. "Tai...!!" He turned to his companion and shook him to his senses. "MOVE!!!" Dragging Tai as fast as he could, they fled, the blood trail behind them thickening and the storm pounding louder in their skulls. They panted in fear, running as fast as they could, before Tai's grip on Cirra failed him, and he crumpled weakly to the ground. "Tai!!" Cirra yelled before looking again at Tai's foot. The foot was mangled beyond repair, no amount of healing would nurse his wound back to health. A rock had lodged itself between the top of his torn foot at the base of the ankle, and the bones that reached down into his toes. Blood spurted and flowed from the foot, and Tai began to wail torturously. 

"CIRRA, DON'T LET ME DIE!!! Please...I don't want to die like this!!!" Tai pleaded for Cirra to help, as Cirra struggled, looking from the large impending shadow and his friend's foot. Tai shook with pain as he looked to Cirra, his bloodshot eyes dripping with the rain and tears. "DO SOMETHING CIRRA!!! PLEASE!!! HURRY!!! I'm begging you!!!" Cirra's heart pounded violently and rapidly in suspense as he clenched his teeth and dropped to Tai's foot, pulling out his sharpest dagger. It was a rash decision, but what other choice did he have? 

"It's going to be okay...! Hold on!!" Cirra held his breath and shut his eyes tight, preparing himself. Tai wailed and screamed, struggling to protest.

"NO!! NOT THIS!!! NO, CIRRA PLEASE!!!! NO!!!" Tai screamed and pulled as Cirra finally breathed out with a determined expression on his face, checking the shadow's position behind them. The thunder boomed over his head as he watched the dark shape slowly inch closer.

"You're going to be okay!!" Cirra choked out as he grabbed Tai's face with both hands and attempted to soothe the fear in his friend's eyes. "You hear me?! I'm not letting you die! You're going to be okay!!" He yelled out, trying to reassure both Tai and himself. He wrapped Tai into his arms, giving him a tight squeeze for what he knew could be the last time. Tai patted Cirra's back, sniffing as Cirra let go and hurried to place the dagger just below Tai's ankle. Taking a deep breath, he swung the dagger down on the foot. The air was instantly filled with the horrifying sound of tearing flesh and bone, as well as the hellish outcries of Tai as Cirra went to work on the foot. The scent of fresh blood grew stronger, and Cirra began to sweat in the cold air from the vast amount of pressure on his shoulders. "JUST A LITTLE MORE!!!" He grunted as he swung the dagger repeatedly, soaking his hands, clothing, and blade with the sanguine blood. 

"MERCY!!! MERCY!!!!" Tai wailed in pain before his foot finally came unhinged, hanging by a stray vein. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Tai bellowed in pain as the foot dangled, before Cirra lopped off the final cord in one sweep of his blade. He tried to help Tai to his foot, looking back at the shadow as he did so. The thing was coming so close, he swore he could almost smell it. 

"COME ON, TAI, WE HAVE TO GO!!!" Cirra panted and wiped water and sweat from his brow. Tai tried to grab at Cirra's hand, weakly gripping the fingertips. "Come on!!!" Cirra yelled, looking once more at the shadow. Tai scrambled to his knees, blood pooled around him. He was weak, and slow. Cirra looked at Tai again, his friend. His comrade. The man that had stood by his side the entire journey of life. Then, he glanced back again at the shadow, and saw its empty eye sockets glaring into his soul. The day he ceased to be a coward, would be the day he'd die. Tai could see the look in Cirra's eyes, and his heart sank. "I-I'm...sorry...!!!" Cirra squeaked, letting go of Tai's weak grip, refusing to look back as he bolted away as fast as he could. Tai flopped to the ground, reaching out for the receding figure of Cirra, feeling the weight of his chest growing heavier and heavier. 

"CIRRA!!! YOU'D BETTER NOT DIE, MARK MY WORDS, YOU SPINELESS FUCK!!!" His voice carried as the thunder boomed, and Cirra ran away with all his might, as the shadow closed in. "YOU HEAR ME, COWARD?!?!? YOU'D BETTER RUN!!!!" Tai's voice was sad, desperate, and filled with fury. He pushed himself forward on his belly, dragging blood and mud through the grass. "CIRRA!!!!!!" Tai watched as Cirra's form vanished into the mist as he yelled after him with the last of his strength. "CIIIIIRRRRRRAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!" He yelled again, before hearing the feminine chuckle once more. He looked back in terror for the last time, and let out another blood curdling scream. 

After several miles distance, Cirra collapsed in the middle of Hyrule field, his chest heaving. His skin felt numb, yet stung in the cold. Somewhere along the way, the storm simply vanished behind him, along with the Shadow, and along with Tai. Feeling a sudden rush of disoriented nausea, Cirra forced himself to his hands and knees as he retched. Once, twice, and for a third time, he emptied the contents of his stomach, each time separated by a long sob. Tears rolled down his cheeks, as he sniffed and struggled to stand. A little ways off, not far from where he stood, the blurred light of torch sconces on stone walls could be made out. Castle Town. He was given renewed energy on his trembling legs, as he wiped away a trail of fluid on his chin with his sleeve, and trudged through the field toward civilization. No one would have to know exactly what happened that night, he decided. It was for the best they only knew what was to come, and not what lay behind. If only he could forget why he survived that day.

"The day I forget that I am a coward..." He thought painfully to himself, "is the day I die."


	2. The Doctor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your character is introduced.

"(Y/n)...listen to me. You have to run. Run as fast as you can, away from here."

You looked wearily at the fuzzy image of a man's face as he gripped your shoulder with one hand, the other one clutching shakily at his right eye. He was clearly fatigued, out of breath, and losing blood. He seemed very concerned, more about you than his own bleeding socket, though you could hardly figure out why. Every time you tried to speak, no words came out. It was as if everything that was happening was happening to someone else through your eyes. His face winced in pain, presumably from the injury to his bleeding eye. Other than his bright working eye and his haunting voice, every other aspect of him seemed to fade away. Everything else was irrelevant but that one cerulean eye. 

"Look at the sky, (Y/n)." The voice pleaded in the same echoing, ghostly manner. As if on cue, the person controlling your actions looked up into the sky. "I can't save you, (Y/n). Not from this." The gray storm clouds above hissed in anticipation, as a crack of thunder rumbled past. "You're the only one who can save you now. Get out of Castle Town, get out of Hyrule if you have to-" He paused, and you watched in a daze as he seemed to stare at something behind you, as all of the blood drained from his face. "Get back! NOW, (Y/N), GET BACK!!!" The sound of a deep, booming laugh could be heard behind you, but before you could even turn to look to see who had made the sound, you felt someone give you a great shove. Then, it was as if you were falling through darkness. A tingling, expectant feeling in your gut, as every individual organ inside of you became weightless without the pressure of normal gravity to hold everything together. You could not see an inch in front of your face, but felt the wind rush past, the speed accelerate, the lack and immensity of force. 

 

BANG BANG BANG.

You shot up in your bed, rubbing your eyes. Morning already? You blinked several times, swinging your legs off the bed and yawning. No, it was not morning. The night was still starry, as you could see from the pale light illuminating under the door to the medical clinic you worked in. A pair of shadows shown from under the door and you raised an eyebrow. There were only a few possible reasons someone would come to the clinic at this hour, and not one of them could be pleasant, or at least less than annoying. The person in question knocked several more times in rapid succession, and you groaned in protest. The only person you could think of who would be breaking down the door at this hour would be your nursing assistant, Fiora. That seemed like the most likely case scenario. 

Fiora was nice enough, and very bright, but reliable? That would never be the word used to describe her. Everything of value, she found a way to misplace. That included the keys to the clinic, which she had already lost three times before and consequently found herself locked out in the dead of night after returning from gods know where she went. 

"Fiora, you dumbass..." You mumbled to yourself begrudgingly as you stood up from the bed. "I hope you know I'm not paying for the replacement this time." Sleepily, you yawned, stretching your neck wearily from side to side. Of course, there was always the slight possibility that there could be a patient at your door, but this occurred very rarely. Castle Town wasn't exactly known for its dangerous nightlife, or really, much danger at all. There were always soldiers, Royal guards, or even hired watchmen out patrolling the streets at any given time. Crime in Castle Town wasn't nonexistent, of course, but besides the occasional petty theft or drunken brawl, not too many crimes were reported, at least. 

"Please hold on, I am coming!" You sleep walked to the door and opened it to see a panting, exhausted young man, covered in blood and blackened filth. You gasped. 

"Good...evening...miss..." You awkwardly waved in shock before moving aside to let the stranger in. 

"Please, enter. I'll have a look at you immediately." He took a few heavy, ragged breaths, before attempting to take a step toward the entrance, and promptly swaggering as if he were about to fall. "Careful!" You shrieked, eyes wide as you lurched forward to push back against his chest. Grunting, you focused your still not quite awake energy on pulling him up by his armpits, assisting him to walk inside.

"(Y/n)...? What's going on?" The sluggish voice and footsteps of your sleepy assistant turned the corner from the hallway that lead to her room. You couldn't help but be slightly relieved by the sound of her voice. Her bedraggled, barely equipped nightgown hung from her naked shoulders lazily as she stared at you and the stranger, bewildered. Her short, messy brown hair stuck out in strange angles atop her head. 

"Fiora, put your clothes back on would you, and help me get our patient to a cot for examination please." You commanded, assuming control of the situation. Yawning, she pulled up the sleeves of her nightgown and shook the fabric back over her exposed parts. In hind sight, you realized, it had been lucky for her to be wearing anything at all. She often slept nude, and strolled about the clinic this way while half asleep in the middle of the night, despite the chance of visitors. 

"Aye aye, captain." Fiora slurred, grabbing the stranger by the arm and leading him away as you closed the wooden door of the clinic behind you. Still just barely awake, she guided him to the cots in the next room and sat him down on the nearest, and most definitely the least comfortable, one. He let out a groan, lying back with a painful expression plastered on his twitching face. Dutifully, Fiora stepped away to fetch two pairs of medical gloves, and handed one to you upon shuffling back towards the lanterns that hung from the rafters. She carefully lit each one, illuminating the clinic in bright, yellow flame light.

"Alright sir, would you mind telling us your name?" You questioned outright, applying the gloves masterfully, as you had done hundreds of times before. The man's eyes flickered open, gazing warily at the ceiling for a moment, as if contemplating what he had just been asked. Definitely not a good sign, especially when accompanied by his disheveled and battered appearance. There was a prominent possibility of brain injury that may have impaired his speech and thought processing abilities. "Sir?" You asked again, a little louder this time, as you strode over to the cot to study his motor functioning. He groaned as you opened his eyelids to check his responsiveness. Both pupils shrank immensely in the light of the room. "Can you hold these open for me at least, sir?" You inquired patiently and as gently as possible. Obediently, the stranger opened his eyes independently, blinking uncomfortably. Fiora sighed in relief behind you. 

"He isn't unconscious, and shows signs of acute responsiveness. That's a good sign at least, right?" She took her seat on a stool on the opposite side of the cot, curiously awaiting your judgement. You, however, ignored her at first, focusing your attention on your patient.

"Thank you, sir. You may close your eyes now if you wish, as long as you remain awake for us to ask you some questions." The man nodded slowly, allowing his eyes to flutter shut. Your eyes moved up to Fiora, who met your gaze in return. "Fiora, would you mind fetching the water bucket and several rags for cleaning him off?" Obviously irritated by what must have felt like a menial task, Fiora stood up to obey orders with a pout. You knew how much she hated feeling like the maid, and from plenty of personal experience you knew how she felt, but it certainly saved you, the head doctor, plenty of time and effort. You sighed in response to Fiora's poor attitude before turning back to your patient.

"Sir, forgive me, but I'll l need to ask you exactly what happened tonight to put you in this condition." You spoke softly, not wanting to come off as a prying busybody. You put a gloved hand to his forehead, feeling a feverish heat resonate from the spot. 

"We were...headed back...from an excavation in Queen Rutana's territory...Zora territory..." He spoke slowly, without much enthusiasm or emotion. "The King sent General Ivan to lead us...and others...to check the river beds." Silently, you wondered how much of this information was only slipping out due to his lack of judgement. General Ivan was well known across Hyrule. A brute of a Hylian commander, whose strength in battle was matched by few, and whose wrath was matched by none. Depending on who you were, you either loved or hated General Ivan. If you were anything other than Hylian, however, he was sure to lean towards feelings furthest from affection. It seemed as though the subject matter of this conversation may have been fairly important business, if it was the crown's business, that was. Especially if it involved someone like General Ivan. However, you chose to not let it bother you, as you saw no harm coming from it, as long as you are Fiora were careful not to reveal any secrets.

"I got the water and rags, like you said." Speak of the devil, Fiora bustled back in, dropping a heavy bucket of water at your feet. Used to her brash antics, you didn't flinch as she began to soak her rag in the water and wring out a few stray drops before dabbing at the grunge on his body. 

"Rutana...she told the King that the river beds were going dry, because he wouldn't stop damming, digging wells all on their land....He called her a rotten fish-headed bitch, and a liar..." You watched carefully as Fiora dabbed at the spattered blood spots on his cheeks, leaving behind a trail of damp, pale skin. "So...he sends us up far north Lanayru, plans to travel there and royally chew her out, or something like that, who knows... But when we got there first, I seen the riverbeds with my own eyes. Drier than the bones and the dust of the Sheikah...Drier than air." His chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, and he gulped. 

"Sir," you asked calmly, not wanting him to lose sight of the initial question. His eyes fluttered open, and he looked to you as if in a trance. 

"We were ordered to dig until we could no longer feel our fingers...and bury it. The riverbed was never there, we were told to report. It must've been filled in during the war, to throw off the travelers, we were to say." 

Fiora looked to you with a grim stare at this blatantly corrupt confession. You returned her concerned look with a grimace of your own, as if to say, 'what is there to be done about it now?'. Fiora shrugged, biting her lip as she continued to uncover various wounds and bruises all over his skin. 

"It was that, or be slaughtered." Fiora tensed instinctively at the words, and you couldn't help but gulp. No known Royal general would have the gall to go through with such a heinous act, as it was against nearly every code in the book regarding the treatment of ally troops, but knowing the reputation of General Ivan caused you to remain mostly unsurprised. The man continued.

"Tai, a lifelong friend of mine, and fellow soldier in arms, would've cursed Ivan to oblivion if I hadn't convinced him to keep his mouth shut and keep me company in the land of the living. Of course, he was never one to play the coward, but I was insistent. I saved his life...for a time. In the home stretch, however, we ran into a bit of trouble. In the end...when it came down to it...Tai sacrificed himself." You and Fiora were silent as he continued his tale.

"There was...a torrential storm...on the way back. In the middle of that, a large, dark shadow." He said slowly, as if it terrified him to remember. 

"A shadow, you say?" It sparked your interest even further to hear about a creature like this one. Fiora interjected brashly.

"Forgive me, but what was in this shadow?" You gave Fiora a sharp look, at which she rolled her eyes and added an obligatory "Sir?" The man seemed to wince in pain after she said this, as if she had thrown a rock at him. For at least a minute, all he did was remain silent and unmoving. You pursed your lips, looking to Fiora with concern. 

"I don't know." He spoke in a hollow, monotonous tone, as if he felt the need to choose his words very carefully. The room became dead silent, only the flickering of the lanterns disturbing the tense air. Though there was no window open that night, you could've sworn there was a sudden chill. The stranger looked up, locking his eyes with yours. "Tai was slaughtered," he spoke in a voice that was almost a growl, balling his hands into fists, "Ivan never even had to lay a finger on him."

Another lengthy silence followed. You looked to Fiora, who seemed just as anxious and uncomfortable in her seat. After what seemed like an eternity, the man closed his eyes and spoke again.

"Cirra." You looked to him in confusion at the seemingly random utterance.

"Pardon?" The man breathed what seemed to be a heavy hearted sigh.

"My name is Cirra." He spoke again, his eyes shut and his voice weary. "And just so your pretty assistant knows...I wish everyone could forget to call me 'Sir.'"


	3. The Unsettling Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, you'll be introduced to Link in this chapter.

A week after Cirra had shown up at your doorstep in the dead of night, his mood had improved tremendously. Unfortunately, however, the same could not be said for his chronic nightmares, or the bruises that covered his chest, abdomen, and legs. Still, he seemed capable enough of taking care of business on his own. The morning of the day that marked one week, however, he was gone. In his place, Fiora found a parting letter addressed to you on his worn cot.

You squinted at his sloppy writing, attempting to read it carefully.

'(Y/n)-

       I am sincerely grateful for everything you and Fiora have done for me. Your hospitality was much appreciated. Please accept the small fortune of rupees (safely tucked under the bed),  it is really the least I can do for agreeing to treat me at such an hour and at such short notice when I arrived, and for nursing me back to health for as long as you have. I have gone to request the aid of the crown to see what I could do about the shadow, please be safe and lock your doors every night until you hear good news. Do NOT leave the city. Whatever you do, do NOT venture the Hyrule fields. I can guarantee, you will regret every moment spent outside the comfort of these walls. 

P.S.- The crown is in need of a doctor...

            -C.'

The last line surprised you greatly. What exactly did he expect you to do? Waltz up to the castle gates and demand entry in exchange for medical assistance?

\------

 

You nervously lingered at the foot of the stairs leading to the castle gates. 

'Am I really sure that I should be doing this?' You bit your lip anxiously, tugging at the drawstring of your loose-fitting work clothes. You mentally groaned at the thought of looking like a complete loser in the presence of any given blue blood that could come out and sneer at you from the castle, but it simply couldn't be helped much. You weren't poor, to be clear, but shopping for pretty clothes to wear seemed quite pointless considering you usually wore cheap, grungy-looking medic garb on a daily basis. Even when you would buy nice new clothing, it seemed to collect dust in your closet, or be "borrowed" by a friend who would never return it. Your job kept you busy during the day, and the night hours you usually enjoyed alone, exhausted by the sometimes seemingly endless strings of patients flooding your modest clinic. That left little time for fancy evenings, or nights spent dazzling handsome strangers in local taverns. 

Shaking off the tiniest bit of anxiety over your sloppy clothing, you shakily took steps toward the castle gate. What would you say once you got to the guard, anyways? 'Excuse me, my patient said that your medical care is sub par, now I need to go to the throne room where I will most definitely not assault a nobleman'? What would they think, anyways? More likely than not, they would simply turn you away. It's not like they don't do that sort of thing every day with people of more urgent business. Even so, you felt that you simply had to try. Gulping, you slowly made your way in front of the guard, who seemed lost in thought, a faraway look in his eyes that would not focus on the woman approaching him. 

"Er...e-excuse me? I was wondering if I could...um..." You attempted to begin, and the guard seemed to begrudgingly yank himself out of his reverie. He greeted you with a somewhat disappointed "humph," and eyed you suspiciously.

"Do you have an audience with the princess?" The guard spoke with a stern voice as you began to feel your face burn with embarrassment. You felt way in over your head, just waltzing right up to a place like this. You stuttered.

"Uh-h...I um, Cirra, do you know Cirra, by chance? He excused himself from my medical clinic sometime this morning." You gulped as the guard's eyes narrowed. Quickly, you tried to explain the rest with confidence. "You see um... I'm a doctor here in town, and Cirra told me that-"

"No one is allowed to enter the castle grounds unless they have an audience with the Princess Zelda. No exceptions." 

"Please sir, I-" You persisted, but he simply seemed to wave you away entirely.

"Move along, citizen." He nodded for you to leave, and your spirits were put out. Just as you were about to turn and leave dejectedly however, you heard a male voice let out a low chuckle. You jumped slightly, feeling a sudden warmth wrap around your waist. Slightly shocked, you stood frozen in place, clammed up at the lips as the guard's gaze suddenly shifted to the man with his arm about your figure. The unfamiliar body of a strange man was lightly pressed against your side, so uncomfortably close that you could smell him. He smelled sickly sweet, like cheap, flowery perfume rubbed off a prostitute. The scent almost made you instinctively scrunch up your nose, but you thought better of it. Perhaps he was someone of importance in the royal family? Or maybe just a nobleman? Either way, a good impression certainly couldn't hurt your chances of getting past the guard. The scent he wore, however, seemed to imply a certain familiarity with the bedroom outside of the castle. Meaning, if he was in fact a noble, he was not one of terribly high standards or tastes. 

'Just what sorts of women has this guy been with, I wonder?' You questioned inwardly. 'He must be some sort of sleaze, to cuddle up to strange women so much that he smells sweet himself...' Pulling yourself back into the moment, you stole a sharp glance at the man next to you, and instantly felt yourself going red in the face. 'Well...if he really is a sleaze, he surely doesn't look the part.' Indeed, he was quite the looker. Soft skin, blue eyes, shaggy golden blonde hair, and the works. He met your gaze with a small smirk, and a twinkle in his eye that could've made any girl's heart melt a thousand times over. 'Oh shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shitshitshitshitshit....he's...cute. He's really, really cute. Why do I have to always look so disgusting in front of beautiful people?! And he's way too close...' At that incredibly embarrassing thought, you blushed even harder, doing your best not to look directly into his eyes. He seemed to be studying your face as if he were some sort of scientific analyst, which made you rather uncomfortable, especially as his face was mere inches from yours. The guard, who seemed just as flustered as you were, cleared his throat to get the man's attention.

"Ahem...Master Link? What are you-?" The good-looking man, Link, cut him off with a curt huff, a sly smirk upon his lips.

"Pretty. She's definitely good looking, I'll give you that, Javierre." You blinked in surprise, flattered, but still confused as to how you were supposed to react to his touch. 

'Am I supposed to thank him...? Or...why is he saying these things as if I cannot hear him?' 

"Although, I can't say I appreciate the noises she makes when I hear you all getting busy while the rest of us are trying to have a peaceful sleep a few rooms over, I can certainly see the appeal now to try to get her to make such loud and obnoxious moans. Way to go, bud." The man laughed heartily, patting your opposite side playfully as if you two were long time pals. If you weren't already embarrassed and confused, you had certainly reached a high point. Now, however, you felt harassed as well. Just what in the world was he suggesting by saying that?! Did he think-?!

"Wha-?!" Bewildered, you tried to articulate a response, but words seemed to fail you. Luckily, the guard in front of you both was rather incredulous as well. 

"M-Master Link...! This is highly inappropriate...especially in front of a woman whom you have just met! And as for your...unsettling accusations towards her, you can rest assured she is not the one you are looking for." Link seemed to look from you to the guard and back to you with an awkward huff, before coming to the conclusion that he was indeed mistaken, (to say the least.) 

"Ah, I see. Forgive me for that then, Javierre. Er...Miss." He gave you a dismissive nod, at which you gaped, insulted. Manners, anyone?! "Would you mind telling me then, just who this woman could be?" Link casually shrugged off the awkward tension as if it were nothing, and lightly pinched your shoulder. Starting to feel quite irritated with his touchy-feely antics, you gracefully sidestepped his position, putting a few feet of distance between you. Arms crossed, you stood and watched Link slowly turn his attention towards you. 

"If you wanted to know who I was so badly, you could've asked me first. The same goes for...whatever that was earlier." Javierre raised an eyebrow, watching how Link would respond. Shockingly enough, Link made a show of shrugging his shoulders precariously, and smiled even wider. 

"To be honest, I didn't really want to know that badly. Especially now that I know you're not really the girl I need to give a talk to about her "inside voice."" A bit taken aback by his attitude, you frowned in contempt, and scoffed. 

"You know what? Fine. I was under the impression that the crown needed a doctor, but obviously, seeing as the security of this place would rather not let me get a word in, I think I'm just wasting my time. Now if you'll excuse me, my klutz of an assistant is running my clinic. " Oops, you hadn't meant to let that slip out QUITE like that...but it was clearly too late now to take it back, and you couldn't say you were too sorry about it either. As they seemed to look at you, one with awe, the other with twisted irritation, you continued to address them both with a curt nod, and abruptly turned on your heel to make your way back down the polished steps on the pathway back to Castle Town. 

"Wait one moment-" you heard the man named Link speak up from behind you, as his warm, strong hand gripped your wrist before you reached the second stair. Taken aback by this gesture, you took a deep breath and prepared yourself for the worst. Just what was he planning to say now? That you should apologize for being so rude? 

'Oh please! Spare me.' But you gave in anyways, and turned back around to face him. A cheesy fake smile was stretched across your cheeks as you raised an eyebrow. "Please, sir, I bid you let go of my arm, if you will." The smallest hint of sarcasm played on your words, betraying the politeness in them. Link snorted.

"Alright, look- I was going to try being nice to you, but you're making this a lot harder for me than I'd like." You raised an eyebrow. He sighed, letting go of your hand, and joining you on the lower stair to be at your level, as if he were about to engage in a highly personal conversation with you. "You want to help out in there?" You nodded slowly. "Well, you can't. Not unless you've got a damn good resume." He spoke in a low voice, leaning closer to your face for a more intimate approach. "You got one?" A little surprised at his sudden change in personality, you found your mind go blank as you tried to remember the reason you came here. You only paused a brief moment, but in that moment, Link tutted, shaking his head in disapproval. "Huh. Figures. You wouldn't last a second in there with that dull wit. You can't trust anyone in that place, ever. If you are going to lie to me, or anyone else for that matter, you can't find yourself getting tongue-tied so easily." You frowned in annoyance. Offended by his accusation, you opened your mouth to protest, but he beat you to the punch. "'I'm not lying, sir. How dare you call me a liar, you arrogant yet handsome man!' Was that too on the nose? I apologize. Actually...yeah, no, I'm over it." You huffed impatiently, narrowing your eyes at him in disbelief at how ill-mannered he could be, especially for someone of regal status. "But before you try to walk away from me again, I'll give you a few more seconds to redeem yourself. I'll ask again: you really want to work here? You really want to dive into the castle life head first, offer your eternal soul to the crown in exchange for a few rupees, not knowing how or why or WHAT exactly happened to the last Doctor who worked for those people?" Learning from your past mistake, you spoke up right away to respond.

"I'd like to offer my services as a medic at the King's disposal. My uh- patient, had me believing there was a shortage of royal healers in the castle, is there not?" You tried to sound as confident as possible. It surely couldn't be THAT bad, could it? Thinking this to yourself, you did your best to keep a straight face as you and Link stared each other down. Finally, he seemed to purse his lips begrudgingly, coming to a realization that you were sincere about your proposal. Feeling the slightest bit triumphant, you innocently waited for his response. 

"Hmph." He furrowed his brow, as if he were highly reluctant to say what he knew he should. "Right then, whatever." He turned his attention back to you, leaning in even closer to your face.

!!!

Unable to stop your face from going red, you stared into his handsome features as he spoke in an even softer, even more intimate tone of voice that, in another situation, would most likely cause you to tremble. 

"You're either crazy brave, crazy stupid, or just flat out crazy. I'll tell you what- I'll get you an audience with the princess." 

"And of my offer?" You whispered back, slightly unsure as to why this conversation had to be so secretive in the first place. He grunted in annoyance.

"I'll convince her." You raised your eyebrows, still a bit surprised by this gesture. 

"You...will?" He nodded, but soon after, allowed a sinister smirk to play on his lips, which made your heart sink a little in your chest. 

"Well...MAYBE I will, but you'll owe me." You did your best to suppress a scoff.

"What exactly are you trying to suggest?" 'That I should beg? Like a dog? Please! You wish!' Link looked between both of your eyes with a mischievous glint, but did nothing to reveal his true intentions. 

"I think you know exactly what I'm trying to suggest, Doctor." You felt your heart catch in your throat and begin to pound. He said it so cryptically, as if it was some sort of suggestive or naughty innuendo. As if it were something vaguely nasty, or highly undignified. Just what was he planning to do?! Seeing your face go completely crimson, he gave a satisfied grin, and patted your head fondly like he would a pet. "Heh...such a dirty girl you must be. What are you thinking about doing for me I wonder, with those bright, blushing cheeks of yours." Instantly, you twisted your features into a scowl, gritting your teeth at him in anger. The nerve he had! To speak to you like this...! He shrugged his shoulders, turning back to face Javierre. "You'd be disappointed, if that was truly what you were thinking, I'm sorry to say. I would never make you do anything unless you wanted to, you know. I'm not nearly that desperate, and I'm certainly not the monster you seem to have taken me for. But if it's monsters you're looking for- I'm sure you'll find them soon." You felt your head start to spin atop your shoulders, watching his strong, yet relaxed, shoulder blades, as he began to move away from you. He walked up the remaining steps and leaned in closer to Javierre, who listened to what Link had to say with genuine interest. Less than a minute of discussion took place before the guard nodded, and turned his attention towards you. 

"Step forward, miss." You did as instructed, and cautiously approached the gates with a tiny gulp. "Name?" He snorted, folding his arms expectantly.

"(Y/n). My name is (Y/n), Javierre, sir." A small twinkle of amusement glimmered in Link's eyes, as he flashed a smile in your direction. You flushed, slightly embarrassed, not knowing what you had done wrong. Javierre blinked at you, as if confused by something, before shaking his head and opening the gates, allowing both you and Link to pass. "Thanks." You muttered hurriedly as you stumbled past, feeling Link already starting to push you along impatiently. You made it a few feet away before you heard Link give another chuckle, and you balled your hands into fists in frustration. "What? What is your problem, exactly?" You hissed, once you were certain that the guard was out of earshot. Amused, Link snickered at your expense.

"What was that, 'sir'? You don't address guards as 'sir', don't you know?" You rolled your eyes and did your best to ignore him, while admiring the close up view of the royal garden. It really was something out of a storybook, with a giant fountain, carefully trimmed hedges of red and white, sometimes cherry pink roses, pathways that twisted and turned into cobblestone labyrinths, marble statues of nearly nude women, the sound of bubbling water from a massive pond that stood far beyond your immediate vision, and Nayru be praised, space. This had to be one one of the most massive botanical havens in the world, definitely in Hyrule. The lawn surrounding the centralized fountain alone was bigger than your clinic and house in Castle Town. 

"Must be nice..." You muttered, more out of awe than sheer jealousy. Link, who was intently watching every move you made, narrowed his eyes coolly. 

"Of course its nice. It's only the garden in front of Hyrule Castle." You sighed, giving him an exasperated look, at which he simply shrugged, and took you by the forearm. "You want a tour, don't you? They always want a tour. I'll give you one." A little taken aback by how suddenly he could go from a jerk to a gentleman, but still unsure of his true motives, you shyly stayed in place, brushing his arm away. Realizing what had happened, Link turned and gave you an irritated and bewildered expression.

"If it's all the same, I appreciate the gesture, but something tells me I really shouldn't be snooping around. Couldn't we just find Cirra, see the princess, and then you wouldn't have to spend any more time babysitting me?" You tried to sound as polite as possible, without letting on that you were really just tired of his holier-than-thou attitude. He didn't buy it, that much was evident from the look on his face. 

"Seriously? You're joking. Cirra? You're looking for Cirra? The guy that came from General Ivan's mission in Rutana's territory?" You nodded slowly, unsure of what he'd say next. Link raised his eyebrows in disbelief, then threw his arms up as if to say 'forget it.' 

"Cirra was a patient of mine, yes. Can we find him? Do you know where he could be?"

"Ha! No." 

"...No?" 

"Don't know, could care less." You frowned, feeling the 'jerk' returning to his personality. "Why? You love him or something, miss...what was your name again?"

"My personal affairs are none of your business." You crossed your arms, getting more pissed off with him by the second, but you did need him to take you where you wanted to go. He smirked, stepping closer to your position.

"Loosen up, (Y/n). It was a joke. I was joking." You scoffed. "Anyways, I'll give you a choice. A bit of blackmail never hurt anyone, so what'll it be? Tour, or...I won't help you? Take your pick." Holy shit, was he actually serious?! You gaped at him in disbelief. He tapped his foot, making a show of impatience while you glared at him. 

"I'll take your stupid tour."

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that?~" you shot him a nasty look, balling your hands into fists.

"I'll take. Your tour." Link looked you over thoughtfully for a moment, before bursting out laughing. 

"Oh for Din's sake, you should see the look on your face! Priceless!" You watched him, unamused, as he continued to laugh uncontrollably. He looked just like a spoiled child, laughing like that. "Come on, then. I haven't got all day." You jumped slightly, squeaking in protest as he gripped you once again by the forearm, pulling you forward. "Let's look at the pretty flowers, and we can pretend that we appreciate each other's company."

'Ouch...' With that thought, you followed briskly after Link into the maze of gardens beyond. 

\------------------------

"I've never seen grass grow this green before." You observed the lawn with interest, while being subtly pulled along by your grumpy tour guide. 

"The funny thing about grass- is its always green." He added rudely. Inwardly, you wondered if he simply felt obliged to insult you after everything you said. You snorted, but held your tongue. As much as you hated to admit it, you did feel a little guilty at the way you talked to him at the gates, even after he had said he would help you get an audience. You felt that the least you could do at the moment would be to play nice, and just maybe, he'd warm up to you.  

Rustle...rustle...

As he walked you past a row of shrubbery, however, you could've sworn you had noticed something that seemed off. 

"Wait...stop-" you paused abruptly, but he had continued to pull you forward and as a result, you collided with the back of his shoulder. You shrugged off his hand, and turned to walk back towards the bush, as if there were some sort of magnetic attraction pulling you toward it. 

'Is that...a red rose...?' You blinked slowly, standing in front of the rose bush with wide, curious eyes. 

"Oi! What's the hold up?" You nearly jumped out of your skin, as Link's voice came from right beside you when you had least expected it. He too, turned his attention towards the bush you were looking at, puzzled. "And you're staring at the rose bush because...?" You frowned, slightly embarrassed by his reaction. Deciding to ignore him, you knelt down and examined something at the base of the plant. A stray, budding red rose seemed that it had fallen, or, more likely, had been cut. However, there was something a little strange about where exactly this rose was, and how it had gotten there. You reached out your hand cautiously, but pulled back your hand, daring not to touch the thorny stem with a bare palm. Instead, you pulled out a handkerchief from your waist pockets, and used it to gently remove the flower from the earth. Link watched you carefully, a bemused expression on his face, as you lifted it upside down and examined the stem. Sure enough, the edge had been clipped. Perhaps the gardener had come through...? Yet- there was no one around that could be seen besides the two of you. So then where, exactly, did this come from? 

"Link, this bush- it only grows white roses...right?" Link snorted.

"I thought you were a doctor. Are you some sort of garden expert now?" You glanced at him in annoyance before peering back at the flower, turning the bud in your hand. 

"This rose is red. Someone must have dropped it here." Link rolled his eyes impatiently, sighing. 

"We stopped the tour of a lifetime for a flower bud?" Defensively, you stood and held the cut portion of the stem to his face. 

"Well, isn't it a little...sad? The flower hasn't even started growing much yet, and some asshole just came along, snipped it, and left it for dead. Not only was it a meaningless death, but the person who did it probably didn't even care too much what happened. I find that a little depressing, somehow. Even if in this case, it may be just a flower." Link rolled his eyes, pushing away the flower impatiently.

"Come on, lady, you're wasting my time. I don't like it when people waste my time." You lowered your arm reluctantly, still clutching the stem of the rose in the handkerchief. 

"Would it kill you to stop acting like you're just so special? It's really starting to get on my nerves." Link glared at you, as you stared back with an equally hostile expression.

"You-" he started to say, but stopped as another sound came from the bushes.

Rustle...rustle...

"Is there something in there?" You stepped back from the flower bush, biting your lip anxiously. This time, he seemed to have heard it as well, as he eyed the rose bush suspiciously. 

"Is someone there?!" He called out threateningly. You listened carefully, standing perfectly still, watching Link's face as it twisted into one of belligerence. "Humph." He grunted, narrowing his eyes at your surroundings. "This place gives me the creeps." He turned to you, his face threatening and frightening. You began to get a bad feeling, and gulped nervously as he began to walk towards you with a hardened look in his eye. "Come with me," gruffly, Link grabbed your wrist with an iron grip. "You wanted an audience? I'll get you an audience. That's where we're going to find your precious Cirra anyways, no doubt." He began to drag you along once again, while you glanced behind you, confused. 

"What was-?" You started to ask, but trailed off as Link gave no signs of turning back. 'What in the world...is going on around here...?'


	4. The Audience with Her Majesty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Princess is introduced, and important information regarding the state of the kingdom is revealed.

It was official: you did not like Link one bit. You sighed in frustration, pacing back in forth in front of the doors to the royal audience chamber. According to Link's oh-so-friendly orders, you were to wait outside the room until he came back for you. The issue? Surprise, surprise- you had been waiting for at least thirty full minutes and not one peep had come from behind the massive, brass doors. By this point, you were kicking yourself for ever thinking coming to the castle for help was a good idea in the first place. Your only saving grace was the fact that you couldn't have possibly known that a high ranking knight with a pretty face would turn out to be an arrogant, evidently womanizing, and downright suspicious piece of work. 

You gave the extravagant hallway another curious lazy stare. Even after what could have been the seventeenth time, it was clear that even the mere hallways of Hyrule Castle were captivating to look at. The polished marble floors continuously remained bathed in natural light from the wide, decorative windows that lined the outside wall. Out of boredom, you couldn't help but approach one of these windows and examine the face of the girl reflected hollowly in the glass. Your own face stared back at you with your same half-lidded and apathetic expression. (Of course, this was followed by an intensely competitive silly face competition with yourself, of which you declared yourself the victor.) Through your own transparent reflection, the castle garden thrived, still just as vivid from afar as it was up close.   
The center of the hall gave off a slight crimson glow from the long and narrow carpet running down the middle of the walkway. Proud, tapered banners of rich red satin, emblazoned with the golden crest of the Hylian Royal Family, claimed every other section of the elegantly rugged gray stone wall on the side opposite the windows. Each section of the walls on either side of the walkway were marked by imposing pillars of Quartz, whose edges were neatly sanded and shaped to pristine perfection. At the moment, due to the time of day being only just after noon, the golden torch sconces adorning the pillars were unlit and dormant. 

"It's been long enough, right?" You said to yourself, gulping. Facing the double doors once again, you felt a rush of excitement and fear flow through your veins. It wasn't everyday you got to be in the presence of her Highness, Zelda. "You better not do anything stupid, (y/n)." You muttered under your breath before raising your head as confidently as possible and approaching the doors with as much confidence as you could muster. Stopping short of the entrance to the audience chamber, you slowly reached out and gripped the right handle. It was all you could do to keep from taking your faintly shaking hand off of its cool metal surface as you cautiously  turned the handle and opened the door a crack. The murmur of some sort of discussion the inhabitants of the room were having began to fill your ears. 

"But your highness, Queen Rutana has already sent ambassadors from the Zora Tribe to Castle Town to bring their grievances against his majesty. It is only a matter of time before relations with the Zoras are strained, unless you can convince your father to reimburse the Zoras for the damage done to the southern portion of the river." Though you knew it was wrong, you couldn't help but start eavesdropping. A short, round-bellied man in a silk waistcoat two sizes too small gently bowed his head respectfully to the woman sitting upon the extravagant throne at the head of the room. Through the small space between the doors, you could just barely make out the small gathering of foreign soldiers standing at attention not far from the noble man. 

"I understand your concern, Ward Beimish." You inhaled sharply as you recognized the  cordial female's voice. That voice belonged to none other than Princess Zelda herself! Barely confining your excitement, you bit your lip and continued to listen. "However," the strong feminine voice continued, "I'm afraid my father has made his position quite clear."

"Your highness," Ward Beimish seemed desperate as he spoke up again, "my lady- my province is dying. Eldin cannot afford another water restriction. I simply cannot agree to it, as a representative of my people, I cannot allow it." Even from the crack in the door, you could see the shine of sweat on his balding, receded hairline reflected in the sunlight from the high up windows. The princess seemed to pause in thought for a few seconds, before sighing profusely. You could not see her from where you stood, no matter how hard you tried to squeeze her into view through the narrow crack in the doors. You imagined her sitting thoughtfully in her chair, as she made up her mind about what to do. 

"Very well, Ward Beimish. Tell Queen Rutana that the princess, at least, has her ear. Send her my regards, and as a symbol of my favor, tell her I will do everything in my power to convince his majesty. You have an audience when he returns." You watched the balding ambassador bow his head, closing his eyes in relief. 

"....Forgive my rudeness, your highness. If circumstances were not so dire, I would not attempt to ask so much of you." You imagined the princess giving a small smile, as the ambassador dropped to one knee and bowed respectfully. You watched thoughtfully as the ambassador seemed to be shaking, teary eyed as he slowly stood and gave a salute. 

"I only hope that your pleas do not fall on the deaf ears of my father, Sir Gregone Beimish. You may take up residence in the guest chambers while you await my father's return in the meantime." 

"Thank you, your highness. The gods praise you." Ward Beimish took another short bow in the princess's direction before taking his leave. Your eyes widened, hearing the sound of his footsteps approaching the door you were leaning against. Your heart leapt into your throat as you practically jumped away from the door as fast as humanly possible. Unsure of how to react when he would eventually see you waiting from the doors, you made the split second decision to press yourself into the wall beside the doors, trying to make yourself as unnoticeable as possible. If you were caught eavesdropping in a place like this, well, let's just say you really didn't want to imagine the consequences. Your heart pounded in your chest as the footsteps reached the door. The door handle turned and opened and the short and balding ambassador waddled out with a pace that meant business. You gulped as he walked past you without the slightest inclination of turning back, and briskly continued away down the hall. After watching him turn the corner and hearing his footsteps fade into the distance, you breathed out in relief and turned your attention back to the double doors. Cautiously, but eagerly, you peered back through the same crack in the doors, only to have your eyes met by two blue ones, undoubtedly glaring at you from across the room. Gulping, your heart pounded as you took a step back from the doors and mentally cursed yourself for being so careless. From the other side, you could hear more conversation as you gathered your courage, putting your hand gingerly against the door, poised to push it open.

'Alright, (Y/n), he's already seen you. You might as well get on with it before you lose your nerve completely.' No big deal, right? It's just an audience with the princess of Hyrule, what could possibly go wrong? You took a deep breath, and opened the doors.

"Now, returning to the situation regarding the Shadow in Hyrule Field-" 

As you stepped into the room, whatever talking that had been going on was stopped. You became anxious, gulping as you forced your posture to remain calm, upright, and confident. You took several steps into the room, feeling slightly wooden as you surveyed those around you. Considering the size of the audience chamber, there weren't too many people present at the time. You quickly recognized Cirra, as he stared at you from his place next to a stern faced Link with an expression of pleasant surprise. Despite wishing to open your mouth and tell Link exactly what you thought of him, you simply tore your gaze away to address the princess. Getting down on one knee, you bowed your head, crossing a fist over your heart to pay your respects properly. 

"Hello there. You are...?" The princess eyed you up and down, smiling politely and professionally. 

"(Y/n)...Your Highness." Nerves of the highest degree raised your heart rate, and you felt your head going light under the pressure. 

"(Y/n), I see, and what business do you come to me with at the present?" Her highness raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. You cleared your throat and tried to speak with as much confidence as you could muster. She really WAS intimidating...and being in the presence of a man that had just given you the absolute worst tour in the history of tours and seemed not to trust you at all was not really high on the "helping" list. 

"I have come here to assist in any way I can with the uh, the Shadow." All eyes were definitely on you now. You flushed red in the cheeks, wondering if you had said something wrong. Her highness's face was unreadable, and seemed torn with conflicting emotions. Link stared daggers in your direction, and opened his mouth to speak. The princess, noticing this, held up a hand to silence him and nodded to you. 

"Which services do you wish to offer us?" Your spirits rose ever so slightly, seeing as the princess of Hyrule was giving you a chance to make a point. You didn't even think you would be able to walk into the door after Javierre stopped you before, so this was three steps in the right direction. 

"I noticed you have a shortage of medical help in the castle. I wish to offer my skills as a doctor. In the field, or out, it doesn't matter to me. I just want to serve the kingdom how I can." You spoke as if you were free of concern, though you knew the weight of your words. 

"I see...that could definitely be of use," you lit up expectantly, feeling your spirits soar as she drummed her delicate fingers on the throne, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. "That being said, I do have one reservation." You raised an eyebrow, confused as to what this meant. The princess's blonde, silken hair swayed slightly around her shoulders as she leaned forward in her chair and folded her fingers in her lap. "In the past, we have employed medical staff with no combat capabilities. This has proven to be a mistake, time and time again. Do you, (Y/n), have any training in mortal combat?" You shook your head honestly. After all, what good could come of you lying to the princess about such a thing? You had never properly used a weapon in your life, save for small scalpels and kitchen utensils, if such things even counted. The princess looked to Link, as if upon instinct. He looked up to her, giving a respectful nod, understanding what she meant. Your heart sank, and you were fully prepared to protest against her will, opening your mouth to speak up. Cirra spoke up before you, however, noticing a certain tension across the room between you two.

"Your highness, are you sure that is such a good idea? Perhaps I should-" The princess silenced Cirra. 

"Link is highly skilled, and you are going to be of no use to her, healing or not. I have chosen Link, my most trusted and capable of Knights, to assist (y/n) in the art of battle, and so partners they shall be." Link scrunched up his nose at first, but looked to her and nodded, obviously respecting her greatly. 

"It will be done, your highness." He then turned to you,  and you shivered as an icy stare of glacier blue froze goosebumps into your skin. He came forward, each step he took seemed to make you more nervous than the last with his approach.  His lips parted slightly, as if examining your face once more, trying to re-evaluate you, trying to see what the princess saw in you. "I thought I told you to let me handle things in here." He snapped under his breath, just loud enough for you to hear, causing you to turn beet red with embarrassment.

"S-sorry..." You stammered begrudgingly, but held your tongue. Now was not the time to protest. He ran a hand through his bangs and looked back to the princess, nodded, and walked towards you. You gulped as he grabbed your arm, again, and practically dragged you out of the audience chamber as if taking a reluctant mongrel out for a trip to the vet.

"Come on. You wanna train? There's no time like the present." You looked over your shoulder, back at Cirra, who gave you  a worried look, as you were unceremoniously dragged out of the audience chamber.


	5. The First Rule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of "training" does not go well...or maybe it does?

"Ow! Ow, hey! Stop it, you're hurting me!" You protested as Link proceeded to pull you along. He looked unsympathetic as he tugged at you even harder. 

"Okay, rule number one: no whining." 

You were silent as he finally let you go and you breathed out in relief, rubbing the spot where his hand was. "Ah..." Link patted your head as if you were a dog. 

"Good girl. You listened. It wasn't that hard, was it? Now sit." You narrowed your eyes. Did he take you as some sort of animal?! He snapped and pointed to the ground in a stern manner. "SIT." You were insulted, there was no way you were going to do things his way! You groaned in frustration before crossing your arms. 

"Are you seriously treating me like a dog right now?" He smirked and snorted.

"It's not my job to go easy on you, it's my job to train you." He reached for you, and you pulled away nimbly. He raised an eyebrow before stepping closer to pull your arms away from your chest. "I'm not going to hurt you on purpose, so chill out." You nodded slowly. He shook his head, closing his eyes and blinking slowly. "Man, this is going to be rough if you're going to be like this every time. Loosen up, yeah?" He chuckled good-naturedly, but you were still too angry to accept the change of mood. You recrossed your arms, only to have Link pull them back and place them gently at your sides. "Loosen. Up." He breathed in your face and you gave him a glare. He patted your cheek with a grin and let your other wrist go. Giving you your personal space, he again pointed to the ground. "Please sit down, (y/n)." You sighed stubbornly before sitting on your knees and folding your hands in your lap. He breathed out a sigh of relief before sitting down across from you. 

"What exactly is the point of us sitting here, anyways?" He raised an eyebrow. 

"What did I say about whining just a minute ago?" You downcast your eyes. He snickered menacingly and you looked up again to give him a harsh glare. Link feigned hurt, putting a hand to his heart.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I must have run out of fucks to give you at the moment! You're going to have to check back with me on that issue." You scoff in anger, growling. 

"Why couldn't her highness have Cirra teach me instead..." You purposefully dissed him to his face, trying to get him to show some sort of remorse. He stopped laughing and glared at you. 

"Hey, can't you take a joke?" Your skin prickled with cold aggressiveness. 

"A joke?!" You raised your voice, feeling your face heat up in humiliation. "If taking my pride and letting someone shred it to bits is your idea of taking a joke, then no, Link. No, I can't take a joke. You're not funny, you're just an asshole." He huffed, turning away and putting his face on his hand. 

"Whatever, suit yourself." You stood up and dusted yourself off passively. 

"I think we might as well get on with it then- Link?!" You turned around for one second...and when you looked back at the green-clad boy he was lying on his back, eyes closed. You sighed in disbelief. "What are you doing now?!" He put his hand over his eyes and rubbed tiredly. 

"I'm tired, and you bore me. I'm taking a nap, feel free to wake me up when you grow a backbone or a sense of humor or whatever." You scowl at his resting form before turning on your heel and storming off. 

"Fine. I didn't want your help anyways!" You didn't get an answer as you made your way out of the castle grounds to be on your way home. 

\-----

You walked past the guard post as you were leaving and noticed that the gates were closed without anyone as protection. 

'That's odd...' You thought to yourself, skeptically. 'Wasn't that guard named Javierre here as I was getting to the castle?' You came up to the door and noticed a sturdy padlock that had been secured on the iron bars of the gate. No one was getting in or out with any ease. Confused, you tugged on the padlock. 'Why have they locked the gates, I wonder?' You pondered this for a few minutes before realizing there was no way for you to get yourself home at the moment. 

"Spawn of a Stalfos! You cursed under your breath and tugged again on the padlock. Huh. 

'I guess that means I should go back to the castle and ask about how I am supposed to get home...' You shrugged your shoulders. 'It's really my only option right now, considering not even Javierre is here at the moment.' 

You made your way back to the castle and gingerly opened the door to the corridor you were in earlier with an even less charismatic version of Link. You couldn't hear any talking coming from the audience chamber, so you assumed everyone had gone about their usual chores. 'Where is everyone?' You wondered curiously. You crept down the hall nervously. It felt as though you didn't belong here, even though you had been given permission to join the cause against the great shadow. 

"(Y/n)!!!" You jumped in surprise and fear as you heard someone yell out your name and it echoed across the hallway. You turned as footsteps were heard getting closer to you. The figure was Cirra, striding towards you with a smile on his face. "Hey there! How'd it go with Link?" You smiled back, then you frowned in disgust. 

"He's a complete and total ass. I think moblins have better manners than he." He chuckled and shook his head in response. 

"Oh, no. I was afraid it would start off on the wrong foot like this," Cirra looked back at you, still smiling with a twinkle in his eyes. You shrugged and groaned in frustration with Link. 

"Seriously though, what is WITH that guy?! I mean, he seems to think that he's so much better than everyone else except for the princess!" You rolled your eyes. He nodded in understanding. 

"Link and the Princess Zelda have their history, it's best to leave it as that.   
If you want to know more, you should talk to Link about it. I don't want to say too much." You raise an eyebrow. 

"Were they...?" Cirra shrugged. 

"I never knew. They seemed to hit it off as far as I could see, but things have changed since I went off on my journey with Tai..." His eyes were suddenly downcast and his smile fell from his face. His heart visibly went into a concave state. 

"Hey...you don't have to talk about that if you don't want...I'm sorry." You put a hand on his shoulder in comfort. 

"I'll be fine...I'm just going to need some time. He was my best friend, you know? It's not something I can just...forget..." Something like regretful sorrow passed through his eyes, and you stared as they swirled and changed. Cirra was truly a good man...

"I understand." You patted him on the head and smiled friendly again him. 

"Thanks..." You awkwardly removed your hand and cleared your throat. 

"Cirra...there's a-uh- problem at the gates. They've been padlocked shut, and now there is no way for us to get home!" Cirra shook off any sort of depression and straightened up. 

"I saw Javierre in her highness's chambers, they were talking about something presumably important. Perhaps it is a precaution in case the shadow strikes Castle Town?" 

"But...then how will the rest of the people be protected if everyone training to fight the beast is within the grounds?!" You replied in shock. It seemed rather careless to shut the Castle off from the rest of the town. Cirra waved it off. 

"It's for the crown's safety. There are guards camped inside and outside the town in case of emergency. They would alert the town and guard it with their lives, should anything go wrong. I suggest if you need someplace to stay, you take it up with her Highness." Cirra winked. You gulped in shock. 

"Y-you mean...?!" Cirra nodded. 

"You have formally offered your services to the Princess and to the kingdom of Hyrule. I can guarantee if you consult the Princess she will give you a room in the castle." You smiled in excitement. Living in a castle?! What an unbelievable opportunity! You hugged Cirra in thanks before quickly taking off in the direction of the audience chamber.


	6. The New Home

You stepped inside the familiar blue accented room, slightly nervous, and slightly excited. You had the chance of living here, in Hyrule castle for a little while! Your heart was beating so fast, you could hardly keep yourself from smiling. You wrapped your arms around your waist and squeezed, tucking in your chin. This was all too dreamlike...you pinched yourself and winced. Yup, you were awake. Finally, you took a deep breath. The golden door creaked open and through it strode the Princess Zelda. She looked red in the face, blushing? She stopped at the meeting place and looked to you, smiling, all traces of red gone from her face. 'Had I imagined that...?' You smiled back to her, curtseying deeply. 

"Rise, lady (y/n). There is no need to be so anxious." Your heart stuck inside your throat as you nodded. She inhaled deeply, a smile on her face. "I assume you were caught a bit off guard by the locked gates. Please forgive me, as it is simply a precaution." Her friendly, apologetic smile gave you courage, and you couldn't help but find yourself returning the same expression. With just the two of you in the room, the air of formality seemed to wain, giving you the opportunity to fully examine the elegant features of the princess. She couldn't have been taller than five feet and three inches, not quite so tall, but not short either. She wore her long, golden hair in intricately braided wreaths near the crown at the top of her head, while the rest of it flowed in silky waves past her breastline and down her back. Both corners of her mouth turned up as she smiled sweetly to you. You cleared your throat to speak.

"My assistant, Fiora, is running my clinic alone while I'm away. It concerns me to think that I cannot return to inform her that she will be needing to hold this position for an unforeseen amount of time." You tried to sound as professional as possible, but you were afraid it merely came across to her as robotic. 

"You need not worry," the princess's confident, kind tone of voice made you nearly jump in surprise, but she wasn't finished. "My men will be sent to her in your place to inform her that you will be living and working in the castle for some time. It is the least we can do for your help and bravery. Hyrule is in your debt." You blinked in shock, staring at her with wide eyes. An amused glint shone in her eye as she looked down at you from her stage.

"Yes, but- won't I need my things?" You insisted. At this, she shrugged precariously before responding.

"If it pleases you to have such things, I can have it arranged. Of course, you will have all of your necessities provided here as well. You can't honestly expect the crown to spare expenses when it comes to rewarding those who have offered their services, do you?" She laughed good naturedly, with an almost infectious melody glinting in her voice.

 

\-----

You were led by Javierre to your new room. 

"Your new clothes will take a few hours to prepare, in the meantime please feel free to make yourself comfortable and relax." You couldn't keep yourself from smiling at him. 

"Thank you." You beamed at him. He awkwardly nodded and left the room in the direction of the audience chamber. "Wow..." You turned around and almost squealed in excitement. You never squealed, but in this case, anyone would. You giddily ran over to the sea foam green bed and proceeded to belly flop into the sheets. "So...soft..." You smiled as you ran your fingers across the soft surface of the bed. It made your actual bed at home feel like a sack of potatoes! You closed your eyes and flipped onto your back, smiling. It felt good to lie there. It was peaceful, and warm. Nothing could bother you as long as you stayed in that comfortable room, on that heavenly bed. For the moment, you forgot about everything bad that was happening. You forgot about the shadow, the death of Cirra's friend, Link, being locked in the castle, risking your life, everything. 

Knockknockknock.

Your eyes snapped open and the reverie broke. Someone was at the door? You sat up and stared at the door. 

Knockknockknock.

No doubt about it, there was definitely someone at your door. 

"Come in!" You set your feet on the floor, but refused to remove yourself from the comfortable bed. The door was opened and Cirra walked in. You were relieved it wasn't...well, Link. You weren't too fond of him at the moment. 

"Just checking in with you. How's the room?" You smiled in response. 

"Fantastic! I love it, I've never seen anything like this!" Cirra chuckled. 

"It is a step up from living in Castle Town, that's for sure." 

"Hey, Cirra! Who are you talking to?" You heard a voice yell for Cirra in the hall and your skin began to crawl. You instinctively scowled and looked to Cirra, who was doing his best not to burst out laughing. Link strolled into the room and parked himself next to Cirra. "Thought I heard you talking to someone in here. What's going on? She your girlfriend or something?" Cirra shook his head rapidly. 

"I took him in yesterday, after he came back from his journey. He was hurt pretty bad, but I did my best." You answered for him, trying not to make things awkward. Link looked to you and his eyes narrowed. 

"I didn't ask you." You gaped in shock. How incredibly rude! He laughed at your reaction before turning back to Cirra, who looked a bit uncomfortable. "I thought you two were a thing. I mean, the whole reason she went to the castle to help with the shadow was because she was looking for you." Cirra flushed pink before shaking his head again. 

"We are just acquaintances, Link. Actually, I was thinking the same thing about you at first, Link. Do you have a thing for (y/n)?" Link huffed.

"Pff! Right, as if I would become infatuated by someone so regular." You cleared your throat in annoyance, getting their attention. 

"Hello, genius! I'm right here! And besides, you would be so lucky to get a girl like me." You gave him the finger. It's not like he didn't deserve it. Link smirked at you, crossing his arms. 

"So the only time I can really get you to show some spirit and let loose is when you're letting me have it, I see. Noted." He clicked his tongue before nodding and looking back to Cirra. "Can you believe this girl?" 

"Again, I'm right here!" You protested, but Link ignored you. 

"Honestly, this is the first woman to ever show me so much disrespect! And I thought Zelda was fiesty!" Cirra chuckled awkwardly. He obviously didn't like being caught in the middle in things, and it didn't help that Link insisted on pressing the subject to its limit.

"By the way, (y/n) and I were talking earlier. How are things between you and the Princess? Was there a falling out?" Link's smile fell and he looked the other way, tense and angry. "I'm sorry if it's too personal, I didn't mean to-" 

"It's fine, just-I don't want to talk about her. I respect her, but we can't be too close. It's unprofessional and improper for a knight to have that kind of relationship with a member of the royal family." His words seemed forced, and monotone. All truth was drained from them, leaving a dried up dialogue that said much and meant nothing at all. There was a moment of silence before Link turned back to Cirra with a smile on his face. "I'll chat later. I have some business to attend to in the meantime." Link strode out of the room in a quick manner. You looked after him a few seconds before Cirra began to leave too. 

"I'll see you at dinner." He smiled and briskly left the room, almost bumping into a maid that was pushing a cart into the room. "Excuse me, miss." He bowed to her, and she blushed madly. 

"N-no, it was my fault! I'm so sorry, Sir Cirra!" She bowed her head and hustled into the room, embarrassed. She shut the door to my room after her and walked up to where I was sitting on the bed. "S-sorry for the wait, Miss. The tailors made a dress for you to wear to dinner." 

\----

Meanwhile...

The Shadow had sauntered back to a cave within a valley far from the castle. It had spent days, months, years, searching for one man. A man that had ruined his life, and turned him into a hideous abomination of a creature. His speech had changed from fair and rich, to cold and unreadable. His face that was once pure and handsome, was now ugly and monstrous. 

The Shadow raised a claw and scratched at the air, watching as his magic went to work. His reflection stared back at him, a fearful beast, covered in matted black fur, with the face of an ursine pig. Disgusting. Revolting. Inhuman. Monster. The Shadow roared in anger, licking his lips of the dried blood from eating human meat. His memories flexed and fluttered through his mind... The tearing of flesh, the crunching of bone, the taste of blood, the smell of marrow... This is what the Shadow's life had come to. It was almost cannibalism, but it was not anymore due to the monster he had become. 

"L...iiiinnnnn....k....!!!!" The Shadow reared on its hind legs and growled. "Y...o...uuu...diiii...d.....th....iiii...ssssss!!!! Yy..o....uuuuu....DIIIIDDDDD....TH....IIIIIISSSSSSS!!!!!!!" The Shadow went on a rampage, beating the walls, the ground, crashing through the rocky grounds like a maniac. "DDEEE....AATTTHHHH.....CCC...OOOOMM...EEESSSSSS....F....OOORRR...YY...OOOOUUUUU!!!!!!!!"


End file.
